Coracornis
kor-uh-KOR-nis
Genus
raven-bird; a bird (of or like) a crow
Literally: crow-bird
| Part | Meaning | Language | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coraco- | a crow, raven (Greek korax, stem korako-) | Greek (cora, -c, -co, =x) | Combining form coraco-; the final -o- is elided before the initial vowel of ornis, yielding Corac+ornis |
| -ornis | a bird | Greek (orni, =s, -th, -tho) | Used here as the head noun suffix, giving the genus its feminine grammatical gender |
A compound of two Greek roots: coraco- (combining form of korax, 'crow/raven') + ornis ('bird'). The final -o- of the combining form is dropped before the vowel-initial second element, a standard Greek contraction (coraco- → corac- + ornis). The genus name is a single feminine noun in apposition, used as is. Coracornis is a real genus of Philippine flycatchers (family Vangidae), named for their crow-like or raven-like appearance.
Pronunciation
- kor-uh-KOR-nis Penult rule 5: the penult syllable 'cor' has a short vowel followed by two consonants (r + n), so the penult is stressed.
Other readings
A minority reading might try Latin corni- ('crow' or 'horn') + Greek ornis, but this would be an inadmissible Greek–Latin hybrid and is not supported by the intended etymology.
All roots are found in the dictionary. The elision of the connecting -o- before a vowel is a regular feature of Greek compounding and does not affect identification of the roots. Coracornis is a small genus of passerine birds endemic to the Philippines; the name alludes to raven- or crow-like qualities.